


another, brighter life

by galacticdrift (Ancalime)



Category: Tanis (Podcast)
Genre: Drinking & Talking, Holidays, M/M, Thanksgiving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-12 05:17:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9057160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ancalime/pseuds/galacticdrift
Summary: A fic I mostly word-dumped during NaNoWriMo, now getting a little cleaned up and polished as a dumpster exchange gift. Title from Mark Doty's "Messiah (Christmas Portions)"





	1. Chapter 1

[Saturday]

"Hey, what are you doing for Thanksgiving?" Nic said, looking at Geoff's fridge as he grabbed them each a fresh beer. There was no sign of Thanksgiving prep -- no turkey, potatoes, any of the stuff he might have expected.

"Hmm?" Geoff looked up as Nic came back into the living room, shrugged, and went back to reading. "Chinese takeout and beer, probably."

"Seriously?" Nic pressed. "Are you not-- have you just never bothered, or--?"

"Who was I gonna have Thanksgiving dinner with? My parents are dead, neither of them had much in the way of extended family, and mom's were almost all back in Korea anyway. You never actually met Karl, but trust me, I wasn't about to trap us both in a room for hours just for the sake of some turkey and stuffing."

"Okay, yeah, I just-- wasn't thinking about it, I guess."

"Sometimes I volunteer-- like, there are usually VA places that do free dinners and stuff and need extra hands. But I'm not really feeling it this year. Y'know?" When Geoff glanced up again, Nic realized that he looked-- tired. His face was drawn, and pale under the golden tone of his skin, and the lines around his eyes spoke of strain.

At his troubled expression, Geoff wavered. "Some of the guys do a-- whatsit, Friendsgiving kind of thing, since a bunch of us don't have family. Never really-- felt right going to that, when I had Karl in the basement, though."

"And now you've got no one. So you should go to that." Setting down his book, Nic crossed his arms over his chest and leveled a flat look at Geoff. "Do you need a plus one to make sure you go and don't just hide in a corner for as long as it takes you to drink one beer?"

"Dude, that’s not--" Geoff started, then paused and ran a hand over his head. A long sigh drifted out of him. "I don't know."

"Come on. You like these people, right? It'll be good for you to reconnect." Reaching out one foot, Nic prodded Geoff in the thigh, just above his knee.

"If I _do_ go, I'm making you come too. I'm not putting up with a house full of drunk ex-grunts and their significant others for a whole day on my own."

"But that's the whole point! You're not _alone_ , you're with your friends." Anxiously, Nic peered at him. "But I'll go with you if you want, of course."

"Uh uh. You committed. You're not getting out of it now." Not looking at him, Geoff unlocked his phone and started scrolling through his email, both thumbs tapping away at the screen as he absorbed himself in sending a message. "I'm sending my RSVP right now, myself plus one, no take-backs."

"Speak for yourself. When and where is it? Should we meet here so we're only talking one car over? Should I bring Ein? How many people will be there?"

"Ein! Yeah. Good call." The tip of his tongue poked out between his teeth as Geoff started tapping again with his thumbs. "I'll check and make sure it's okay for you to bring her, but I'm sure it'll be fine. He would've said no dogs if there were going to be allergy issues or anything."

"Okay. Let me know." Nic nodded. "Meet here, then? When does it start?"

"Invite says show up any time after eleven." Geoff shrugged. "The food'll be served kind of throughout the afternoon but mainly around dinnertime. Should be maybe-- I don't know, fifteen people, tops?"

"Wow," Nic said. "Is there going to be any free oven space? A turkey big enough to feed that many people…"

Geoff grinned, his eyes twinkling. "Deep fryer, out in the garage, apparently."

"Oh." Slightly taken aback, Nic's eyebrows shot up. "That should be-- interesting."

"Yeah." Geoff nodded. "I asked what still needs to be brought. If Joe suggests something I can't cook then I'm delegating it to you."

"Uh oh." Nic smiled. "Okay, uh. Let me know."

\--

[Tuesday]

When Nic's phone buzzed on Tuesday night, he had almost forgotten his plans for Thanksgiving -- though it was hard to avoid reminders of the holiday, all around him in stores, on TV and radio, even at work as the American contingent of the studio chattered about what their plans were and where they'd be going. Meanwhile the Canadian folks were, for the most part, left to hold down the fort, at least on Friday -- Thursday was a holiday for everyone.

_> Got any good Thanksgiving recipes that aren't potatoes, sweet potatoes, or stuffing? Joe says they could use a volunteer to bring something pretend healthy._

Nic blinked at his phone, then remembered -- Geoff's Friendsgiving party. Geoff's Friendsgiving party that he was going along to, in order to persuade Geoff he'd be able to have a good time. Geoff's Friendsgiving party that Geoff had volunteered him to make food for if he didn't know how to make what was needed.

Leaning back, Nic considered Thanksgivings past at the Silver house. His mom made the cranberry sauce from scratch, and there were the requisite potatoes and turkey filled with stuffing, the fresh-baked bread-- a memory drifted through Nic's mind and he seized on it. Roasted broccoli and carrots, with balsamic vinegar and sugar. He'd had it a couple years ago, and remembered it with fondness, but his parents kept trying to make Thanksgiving creative in some way, so it hadn't come back the next year.

_< Sure, I have an idea. Had a pretty good broccoli and carrot dish a few years ago. Let me see if I can get the recipe from my parents._

 Nic flicked over to his dad's number and typed out a quick message.

_< Hey, do you or Mom have the recipe for that balsamic and brown sugar roasted broccoli and carrot dish we had a couple years ago at Thanksgiving?_

He went back to his work and by the time he pulled his head out of research and audio mixing when Alex asked if he wanted to go down to the Pegasus on the corner for coffee, he had texts waiting from both his father and Geoff.

_> Sure, kiddo. Your mom and I talked about it and tracked down the recipe. It's in your email inbox. Have you got plans for American Thanksgiving?_

_< Forcing a buddy to go to an event with his friends and have a good time. They need something ‘pretend healthy.’_

_> That's good of you. Let us know how the broccoli and carrots go over._

_< Will do. Thanks, Dad._

Switching over to Geoff's conversation, Nic chuckled.

_> Sounds boring, but if you say so._

_< Trust me. It'll be good. I got the recipe._

"Talking to Geoff?" Alex nudged him and Nic looked up.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry." He locked his phone and shoved it in his pocket. "Wait, how did you know?"

"Who else are you gonna be texting with that goofy smile on your face?" Nic started to object but Alex kept talking right over him. "Don't start with me, you don't see what your face looks like every time you're texting him. Is he going anywhere for Thanksgiving?"

"I talked him into going to a Friends-giving with some of his old military buddies, but that means I have to go along to make sure he has fun and doesn't just hide in a corner drinking."

"I see." Alex raised an eyebrow at him, grinning. "Well, you'll have to tell me how that goes."

"Sure, okay." Nic agreed absently, following her out of the elevator and around the corner to their preferred coffee shop.

That evening, Nic picked up carrots and broccoli from Whole Foods on the way home; he was sure he had the rest of the ingredients in his pantry already. There really wasn't a lot to it, just as he'd recalled. Cook the veggies a little, then season with balsamic, brown sugar, and salt and pepper -- he might add some thyme and rosemary for extra depth -- and roast in the oven. Dead simple, but delicious enough to excuse eating a healthy dish on a holiday apparently dedicated to the unhealthiest of eating habits.

It was also easy to transport -- he could cook up the veggies Wednesday night, then toss them in a couple of gallon bags with the other ingredients and bring them to Geoff's friend's house along with a nice big baking dish to dump them into for roasting.

\--

[Wednesday]

Wednesday night after work, Nic boiled up the vegetables to prep them for roasting. Outside in the yard, Ein was running around sniffing everything and investigating all the plants in the garden, and that reminded Nic that he hadn't heard back from Geoff about whether he could bring her to the party.

_< Did your friend Joe say whether it was okay to bring Ein? I need to make arrangements if not._

_> Oh yeah! Totally fine. He's got a big fenced yard she can play in._

_< Ok, great, thanks._

_> But when you say “make arrangements” you just mean drop her off with Alex right_

_< Got it in one. Sometimes I think Ein loves Alex more than she loves me._

_> Of course she does. Alex is the cool aunt that gives her treats and lets her misbehave. You're her real dad._

Nic snorted, looking down at the phone screen.

_< Alex does spoil her, that's for sure._

_> She’s my role model. I’m gonna get Ein to love me even more than Alex. WAY more than you._

Laughing again, Nic set his phone down and pulled the pot with the broccoli off the stovetop burner. He was boiling the broccoli and carrots separately so he could control how done they got -- no overcooking the broccoli just so the carrots got cooked enough. He drained out the water, using the lid to hold the broccoli in, and set the pot on the counter to cool.

When the carrots were done he did the same for the second pot, setting it next to the first one, then going to the door to call Ein back inside.

"Hey girl, you want some dinner?" Nic scratched at her neck and behind her ears. It was misty outside -- or foggy, hard to tell – and her fur was cool and damp under his hands. "I almost get the feeling I shouldn't feed you tonight so that when you get spoiled rotten with treats tomorrow you don't end up looking like one of those big round stuffed animals that the intern loves so much."

Ein whined and licked his face as he bent over, then trotted over to her food bowl and yipped. "Guess I can't do that to you when you can't understand why I'd be doing it. Okay. Dinner it is."

Reaching up to grab a can from the cabinet where he kept Ein's food and treats, Nic moved carefully around the kitchen as Ein scampered back and forth, jumping up against his legs and scooting between them, nearly tripping him up. "Ein! Down!"

Letting out a series of tiny yips, Ein dropped to all fours but continued to dog his heels as he picked up her food bowl and grabbed a fork from the silverware drawer. Once he'd given the bowl a quick scrub, he emptied the can into it and managed not to get tripped up long enough to set down bowl down next to Ein's water dish.

"There you go, girl. Dig in."

Showing no sign of any interest in his words, Ein was already chowing down.

\--

[Thursday]

Nic let himself sleep in Thursday morning -- well, less actual _sleeping_ and more lazing around in bed, idly scrolling through Twitter and Reddit -- since Geoff suggested heading over to Joe's around one or two. Ein's whining woke him up long enough to scoop out some dry food for her breakfast -- less than he'd usually give her, in light of the upcoming banquet that no doubt multiple people would sneak her scraps from. But then he went back to bed and pulled the covers up over himself, his feet cold from the apartment floor.

Around eleven, he got up and got dressed, bagging up the vegetables and the balsamic and brown sugar he'd toss them in before roasting. He added in sea salt and pepper, too, just in case, then took them back out for fear of offending the host. When that was done, he picked up his phone and started to text Geoff, remembering as he did to grab a spare USB charger to take with him. If they were going to be there for hours he didn't want his phone's battery to die. He grabbed his pocket recorder, too -- he had no idea why he'd be recording anything, but better to be prepared and not need it than vice versa.

_< Dragged yourself out of bed yet? Let me know when Ein and I should come over._

His phone buzzed almost immediately with a reply.

_> I'm awake. Come on over whenever you want._

_< Ok, give me about 45 minutes._

Nic tossed his stuff in the front seat of his car, then got out Ein's leash and clipped it on her. Her ears perked up with excitement and she looked at him, tongue lolling out of her mouth.

"Ready for a car ride? You're gonna meet a lot of new people today." Ein followed him out to the car, eagerness in every step, and he boosted her up to the back seat, fending off her affectionate licks.

For the first part of the trip she was absorbed in watching the scenery go by, but after a while she laid down across the back seat and snoozed. At one point Nic saw her paws twitching in the rear-view mirror, no doubt due to some dream of chasing tennis balls or rabbits.

When he got to Geoff's house, Geoff came out onto the driveway to meet him, barefoot and casual in a long-sleeved henley and jeans.

"Jesus, aren't your feet cold?"

"Yeah, they fucking are, so let's get your shit inside, c'mon." Geoff took the baking dish full of bagged veggies and ingredients, and Nic's spare charger and pocket recorder from Nic's hands and Nic went to the back seat to let Ein out.

"And there’s Ein! Hey girl!" Shifting the baking dish to one hand, Geoff reached down to rub at her ears as she jumped up at him, sniffing and licking and barking cheerfully. "Always a pleasure."

He led them inside and Nic stepped out of his shoes in the entryway. Once unclipped from her leash, Ein immediately began running back and forth all around the house, investigating everything, dashing back to Nic and Geoff intermittently to make sure they were still there.

Geoff laughed as he watched her. "She's running around like dog Tanis is somewhere in this house and she's determined to find it."

Nic chuckled.

"So what's this mystery vegetable dish you're bringing? Am I going to be apologizing to my friends and their guests for the next five years' worth of Thanksgiving?"

"No, I promise, it's good. I'm not the world's best cook or anything, but this is easy and it tastes a lot better than 'roasted broccoli and carrots' makes it sound."

"Huh." Geoff peered at the balsamic vinegar and sugar. "Just balsamic vinegar and-- what is this, some fancy sugar?"

"Yep." Nic nodded. "Trust me, it'll be a hit."

"Okay. I trust you. That's how you browbeat me into this in the first place." Geoff tilted his head and offered Nic a crooked grin. Nic blinked, then smiled back.

"So who all am I going to meet at this thing?" Clearing his throat, Nic looked down at the countertop.

"Oh right." Geoff shifted, leaning against the countertop on one cocked hip. As he started naming people, he counted them off on his fingers. "The core of the group is some members of my company, plus a few other folks we met who were also serving during Enduring Freedom. Joe is hosting -- he's got, uh, a long-term girlfriend I think. Tessa. The other guys – let’s see, Mike and his wife Jenny, Alejandro, Gabe and his girlfriend, uh, I don't remember her name. Ashanti maybe? Kenji, Rob and Sara, Melissa, and...Doug? I think that's it."

"That's-- a lot of people." Nic usually wasn't nervous about meeting new people -- he hardly would have gone into journalism if he couldn't strike up conversations on a moment's notice. But suddenly the prospect of making a bad impression on _Geoff's_ friends, when the whole point of his going was to make sure Geoff had fun, left Nic's mouth a little dry.

"Don't worry about it. It's not like everyone knows everyone else. There'll be lots of introductions going around." Geoff tilted his head back, looking up at the ceiling as he thought about it. "The guys and I all know each other, but I don't know if any of their partners have met anyone else. Or more than maybe one or two others. Some of the guys are closer friends, like Mike and Gabe, they get together from time to time."

"Besides--" Geoff stepped away from the counter to nudge Nic with his shoulder. "They'll like you. Just tell some severed feet stories or something and you'll have 'em eating out of the palm of your hand."

"Um. If you say so." Nic grinned, scratching at the side of his neck.

"C'mon," Geoff said, and waved him into the living room. "Sit a spell before we go over. It's been like five whole days since we last had time to talk."

"When you put it like that--" Nic laughed. "We do talk pretty often."

"Who else has Thanksgiving plans at Pacific Northwest Stories?" Geoff lowered himself onto the sofa and patted the cushions at his side. "You and Alex and the Canadians had yours last month, right?"

Nic sat down, angled toward Geoff, with one leg folded under himself. "Uh, yeah. Everyone's got the day off, I think-- I think the intern was flying out last night to see her family for the long weekend. And there's a couple other Americans working at the studio that have Thanksgiving plans."

"Right."

"What about you? Everybody get the day off for Thanksgiving?" Nic cocked his head, smiling.

"I gave 'em the whole weekend. No jobs or appointments till Monday."

"Oh yeah, you usually have some weekend jobs and stuff, don't you?"

"Yeah, but that's the nice thing about owning your own business." Geoff looked smug. "As long as you're doing okay and your customers like you, there's no reason you can't take some time off now and then."

"Right." Nic smiled. "And I bet your customers are all very loyal."

"Hey, if you're _implying_ something--"

"No, I’m not _implying_ anything at all!" Waved his hands, Nic laughed. "I'm saying I think you have them all hopelessly charmed."

"Oh, I'm _charming_ , that’s what you're saying?" Geoff grinned at him, batting his lashes.

"You certainly are. How many families have you personally upsold into a bigger, better hot tub or a fancier pool just by having a friendly chat?"

Geoff just smiled, the very picture of purest innocence.

They chatted for maybe forty minutes, talking about holiday plans and recent news, but eventually Ein started whining and scratching at Geoff's sliding glass door. Nic looked up.

"I'd better let her out for a minute."

"Right." Geoff nodded, bracing his hands on his knees to stand up. "After that we may as well head over."

"Yeah." Nic smiled as he followed Ein outside, watching to make sure she did her business.

When they both came back inside, Geoff had his shoes and a jacket on, and Nic's baking dish full of stuff in his hands. "Alright, you ready?"

"Yep, let me just grab her leash."

Nic clipped Ein's leash on and followed Geoff out to his truck, picking her up and hefting her into the bench seat in the back.

Geoff raised an eyebrow. "She doesn't want to ride in the bed?"

"I worry that she'd go flying right out with one good bump."

"C'mon, that would never happen." Geoff ribbed him. "You know what you are? You're a helicopter dog parent."

Once his seatbelt was clicked in, Nic held up his hands. "Guilty as charged."

"So weird." Geoff shook his head, grinning. "When it comes to your own skin you don't have the self-preservation instinct of a fucking fruit fly, but you worry so much about your dog?"

Nic shrugged, his smile lazy. "I never claimed to make sense or be consistent as a human being."

"That's for sure." In contrast to his words, Geoff's voice was gentle.

The trip to Joe's place in Bothell took about twenty minutes. Aside from Geoff's _extremely_ colorful commentary on the other drivers out on the roads, it passed mostly in comfortable silence.

Eventually Geoff pulled up outside a large house which looked fresh-painted, its pale siding contrasting sharply with the maroon trim.

"Here we are. Looks like a few others have arrived already." Geoff leaned over, peering through the side window at the house.

"Okay. Well, let's go in." Nic bit the inside of his cheek as he got out. His nervousness, temporarily banished by Geoff's reassurance and their chats, surged back in full force. He reminded himself that it would likely be completely fine, but there was still a knot in his stomach as they walked up to the door, and his hand was tight on Ein's leash. Ein, of course, assumed the best of everyone and everything.


	2. Chapter 2

The man who opened the door was taller than Geoff, and looked like he weighed at least half again what Geoff did, if not more. His hair was short-cropped, a salt-and-pepper mix that extended through his short beard, giving his whole head a certain variegated look. His face immediately split into a huge smile as he saw Geoff, and only grew as he spotted Nic at his side.

"Geoff! You made it!" The man -- who must have been Joe -- reached out and wrapped Geoff up in a hug, only pausing just long enough for Geoff to pass off the baking dish to Nic in a hurried toss that nearly resulted in it hitting the ground between them and shattering.

"Hey, man. It's good to see you." They thumped each other on the back, and Nic thought Geoff's voice sounded a little thick and his eyes shone a little bright when they released each other.

"Joe, this is, uh, my friend Nic Silver -- be nice, he's the one who bullied me into coming this year." Geoff grinned, then nodded downward. "And that's Ein."

"Pleasure to meet you, Nic." Taking the baking dish from Nic, Joe shook his hand in a crushing but friendly grip. "Come on in. Ein can stay in the house, or you can let him? -- her? play out back."

"Her -- Ein's a girl. Thanks." They followed Joe in, down a hallway past a coat closet and what Nic guessed was a bathroom, into a large open kitchen, dining, and living area. There were four other people there -- two men and two women -- and Nic looked around at the new faces, which turned toward him and Geoff with smiles.

Geoff was wrapped up in hugs again by each of them in turn, and Joe went over to one of the women and kissed her cheek. Tessa, Nic guessed.

"Nic, this is Tessa."

Nic shook her hand. "A pleasure."

"Over there are Alejandro -- that's the guy currently smothering Geoff -- and Gabe, that's the other one, and his girlfriend Ashanti. Gabe, Ashanti -- this is Nic. That's Ein," he said, gesturing at the dog.

"Hey," Ashanti said, getting up from where she'd been perched on a chair and making her way over. Meeting her halfway, Nic shook her hand, then moved on to Gabe.

"Nice to meet you. I knew Geoff wouldn't have decided to come on his own. Good job." Gabe's eyes were sharp, and his handshake was enthusiastic. As Nic shook his hand, Alejandro let go of Geoff and turned to him.

"You must be Nic! We all owe you one for getting this sad sack to finally show his face at Thanksgiving." Alejandro clapped Geoff on the shoulder, and in response Geoff shoved at him, laughing. "C'mere, anyone who puts up with this fucking asshole on a regular basis has earned a hug."

"Oh--" Nic barely had time to inhale before Alejandro was hugging him; Joe hadn't erred in describing it as "smothering." Alejandro looked, and felt, like he was still in peak military form, bulky with toned muscle, and Nic’s ribs creaked. He managed a faint wheeze and Alejandro set him down, laughing.

"Nice to meet you."

Nic had been thinking of Ein as his easy way to get along with the other partygoers, but everyone seemed open and friendly, willing to welcome him into their group as if he'd been there all along. Once they found out where he worked and what kind of history PNWS had, they were insatiable in asking about all his best stories and anecdotes.

He found out that Alejandro was an accountant, Gabe and Ashanti worked for Microsoft, and Tessa managed a catering company. Joe was between jobs, but had most recently worked at an insurance company in downtown Seattle. More people arrived over the next hour, and Nic found himself talking to Mike, his wife Jenny, and Melissa in a small cluster as people drifted around the house.

Mike was dark-skinned and tall; Jenny's bright green eyes and flame-red hair made quite the contrast. Melissa was black-haired and just tan enough that Nic didn't think it was actually a tan, and she spoke with a hint of a French accent.

"I'm sorry -- I missed your name. You're here with Geoff, right?" Melissa rested a hand on his shoulder, smiling.

"Yeah. My name is Nic Silver."

"I'm glad to see him finally putting himself out there again." Melissa continued with a sigh. "When we heard about his brother, I was so worried-- he’s already kind of solitary, and after something like that anyone might have become even more withdrawn. But it sure looks like you're a good influence on him."

"Well, I don't--" Nic started, and shrugged. "I just-- he's been really great. I don't know what he was like before, but the podcast I'm working on would have gone nowhere without his help and support."

"So you're good for each other," Jenny said, and looked pleased. Nic blinked.

"I-- yeah, I guess you could put it that way." He smiled back at her.

 

\--

 

In the course of the afternoon, Geoff found himself in a cluster of people in the living area while Nic dealt with his vegetable-roasting in the kitchen. When Geoff leaned back to take a look and make sure no one was giving him too much of a hard time, he felt an elbow in his ribs.

"What's the deal with your man Nic over there?"

Geoff shrugged. "I-- after Karl died, I found out about that podcast he's working on, and it turned out to be connected to Karl's crazy shit, so, we started talking. It's good for him to have someone to talk to who knows the score, and I gotta admit, it's been good for me to have something other than work to take my mind off Karl's shit and kind of-- work through it some."

Doug nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "I'm glad to see you finally getting back on the horse. You've been a miserable homebody workaholic for too long."

Tessa laughed and turned to cast an eye over Nic herself. "He's not too bad, I suppose. But it doesn't really matter what any of _us_ think as long as you're happy. Right?"

When she turned back to him with a warm smile, Geoff felt like he wasn't quite following the conversation. "Uh. I guess? I'm glad he's getting along with everybody. He was nervous about coming here, which was _hilarious_ considering his whole job is talking to people."

Tessa poked him in the cheek, right in the corner of his smile and he batted at her hand. "What are you doing? Cut it out!"

"That's a nice smile you've got," she said, her own expression turning mysterious. Geoff was definitely missing _something_ in this conversation.

"Stop teasing him!" Alejandro looped an arm around Tessa and pulled her away, her wild array of brown curls bouncing with the movement. "I'm just glad he finally showed his face at Thanksgiving, I don't want him to never come back."

"We have missed you," Tessa said, tilting her head, her expression kind as she leaned against Alejandro's barrel chest. Geoff felt his face grow warm.

"I know. It's--I'll be back next year." Geoff scratched at the back of his head. "Y'know. Probably. I just--"

"Yeah." Doug's nod and knowing look reminded Geoff that he wasn't the only one with an...awkward family situation -- beneath his corn-fed, blond-haired, blue-eyed exterior, Doug was an orphan and had been through a number of foster homes before getting old enough to join the military. There had been families he'd gotten along well enough with, but none that wanted him in particular back for holidays. Geoff nodded back.

When he next glanced over, Nic was leaning against the counter with a smile, one hand waving as he gestured and talked about something. Tanis, probably, though from what he'd overheard here and there, Nic seemed to be doing a decent job not making _every_ conversation about Tanis.

When the heat and noise inside got to be too much for him, he took a few minutes to go outside and mind the deep-frying turkey with Joe. Every year he heard the tales about Joe's incredible deep-fried turkey, and this year he’d get to experience it first-hand. There was a knot of warmth in his chest, good cheer and friendship and gratitude for Nic for pushing him to come here.

"Hey, Joe. How's the turkey going?"

"Hey Geoff. It's coming right along. Should be done right about dinnertime."

"Cool." Geoff perched on the edge of one of the other deck chairs, warming his hands in the heat radiating from the deep fryer. "Thanks again for inviting me. And I don't just mean today, y’know? You had every right to stop inviting me to this stuff years ago, but you didn't."

Joe clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Of course not. You'll be getting party invites from me and the crew on your deathbed."

Geoff leaned into his grip. "Yeah, I can see it now. Anyway, thanks, man."

"Sure." Joe raised one eyebrow. "Think you'll be bringing Nic again next year? You two seem-- well, it seems like you've got a good thing going."

"I don't know. Maybe? Probably, I guess, if he doesn't have any other plans or anything." Geoff shrugged, looking askance at Joe with a puzzled smile. "I promise he's not gonna have to drag me to this stuff anymore. I _am_ sorry I stayed away so long, but this has already been a good time. You haven't seen the last of me, I promise."

"Yeah, yeah." Joe grinned. "Seems like the kind of guy who could do with a few more friends himself. You know how we get, adopting new people."

"Yeah. Well, we'll see. But what have you been doing all these years? I see you post on Facebook, but I don't feel like I really know what's going on in your life."

Joe leaned back in his chair and heaved a sigh. "Well, you know Tessa's been around for a few years now. We keep thinking about getting hitched at some point, but it never seems like much of a priority."

He and Joe spent a while talking, until Geoff's lack of a coat drove him back inside out of the chill. A full-body shiver running through him, he ducked back into the kitchen and cast his eyes around until he saw Nic talking to Kenji and Rob, leaning against the counter. Creeping up behind him, Geoff pressed his chilled hands to the back of Nic's neck, and burst out laughing at Nic's yelp as he jumped three feet in the air. Rob and Kenji started laughing, too, and almost by the time Nic's feet touched down again he was smiling and turning around, his face full of mock-anger at Geoff's antics.

"What did you do, stick your hands in the freezer? Shit, that was cold!" Rubbing at the back of his neck, Nic reached out his free hand and touched Geoff's. "Jesus, your hands are like ice."

"I was outside talking to Joe and didn't bring my coat." Geoff watched as Nic moved around the kitchen, opening cupboards until he found the mugs, and then ladling up a mug of mulled cider and passing it to him.

"Here, hang on to that." Geoff's lips tilted upward into a soft smile, surprise surfacing briefly on his face as he took the mug, Nic's hands curling around his for a moment.

"Thanks." Geoff tilted in against Nic, leaning against the counter next to him. His warmth seeped into Geoff where their arms and legs pressed against each other, and Geoff felt the chill of the outdoors leaving him. Kenji cocked one eyebrow at him, smirking, and Geoff returned a placid smile, hands wrapped around his mug.

 

\--

 

As the last of the attendees arrived, people started working out oven space and cooking times. Nic was starting to lose track of who was who, and despite what Geoff had said, enough of them seemed to know each other that he definitely felt like the odd man out.

To his satisfaction, though, Geoff did look like he was having a good time. Nic drifted in and out of his orbit, catching parts of his conversations with the others at times and leaving him to speak with his old friends in private at other times. Joe, Tessa, and Melissa were the ones that Nic remembered and kept track of best, and he found himself chatting with them each for quite a while.

By the time the turkey was done, Joe hefting it inside on a platter with a look of triumph, the rest of the food had made rounds through the oven and on the stove and everything was at least in some stage of lukewarm doneness, even if some dishes weren't exactly piping hot and fresh from the oven.

There were seats at the kitchen table, but not nearly enough for everyone, and people scattered throughout the open area once they'd filled their plates, claiming seats everywhere from the sofa to stools at the kitchen's bar counter.

Once he'd gotten his food, Nic cast around for a place to sit and spotted some room on the couch. When he made his way over there, Tessa scooted over further, nearly into Joe's lap, and patted the cushion next to her with a friendly smile.

"Come on over, there's plenty of room." There certainly was, Nic noticed -- more than enough for him even before she'd moved over. But once he sat down, he looked up to see Geoff approaching as well, and Tessa waving him over, too. "More than enough room for him" didn't exactly translate into "plenty of room for two people," but Tessa insisted until Geoff squeezed into the space at the end of the couch, ending up pressed up close against Nic's side. They just had room to hold their plates in one hand and their forks in the other, but Geoff let out a laugh as his elbow kept bumping into Nic.

"Sorry, dude."

"Don't worry about it." Nic smiled down at his food, then elbowed Geoff back lightly, casting a glance over at him.

"Hey--" He said, a warning, teasing note in his voice. "Don't start. Joe and Tessa don't need their beautiful house turned into a food fight war zone."

"Yeah, fine." Nic turned back to his food. Next to him, he heard Tessa giggle, and out of the corner of his eye he could see her watching them.

The food varied in execution, but none of it was bad. And after smelling everything cooking all afternoon, everything tasted better out of sheer hunger and anticipation.

"Who made the mashed potatoes?" Craning his neck to look around the room, Nic called out.

"Me!" Someone piped up, muffled through a mouthful of food – Sara, Nic thought. She had her legs up on Rob's lap, and her head resting against his shoulder. Her long brown hair fell in one shining curtain down her back.

"They're amazing. I think I'm going to die of heart failure but I can't not eat them." Sara and Nic shared a merry look as others around the room let out murmurs of agreement.

"I can't believe how good these veggies are." Alejandro speared a carrot on his fork and stabbed it towards Nic. "What did you do to make them so tasty?"

"Balsamic vinegar and a little brown sugar, that's it." Nic pointed his fork back at Alejandro. "The problem with vegetables is that people don't know how to cook them. They're not _actually_ that bad if you know how to prepare them effectively."

"Alright, dude, you send me some recipes and I'll try them, but I'm not convinced this isn't just some kind of sorcery."

"Okay." Nic laughed a little. "I can send you some recipes."

The conversation continued as everyone ate, a few people getting up for seconds, but Geoff and Nic stayed on the couch, crammed in between the arm on one side and Tessa and Joe on the other. Nic ducked his head, turning toward Geoff a little. "I get the feeling that if I get up for seconds, the only way I'll be able to sit back down is on your lap."

Geoff chuckled, a bit stiffly, then shrugged. "Hey, so long as we can both still eat, I don't mind."

"Well." Nic said, and paused. "I guess I could sit on the arm of the couch."

Leaning forward, he wedged himself out from between Geoff and Tessa, his empty plate and fork in one hand. Weaving between chairs on his way back to the kitchen, Nic dished himself up some more potatoes, gravy, and turkey. He'd never had deep-fried turkey before, but Joe had apparently been making it for so many years that he’d worked out all the quirks of it, and it was some of the most delicious Thanksgiving turkey he'd ever had.

Working through his modest plate of seconds there in the kitchen, Nic left his plate in the sink and opened a new bottle of beer, carrying it loosely in his fingers back to the living area, where he perched on the arm of the couch next to Geoff. Full of food, with beers throughout the afternoon keeping him buzzed, Nic felt comfortable and at ease despite being surrounded by so many strangers. They had all been incredibly welcoming.

By the time Nic was finishing up his beer, trading comments with Joe about how to deep-fry a turkey over the tops of Geoff's and Tessa's heads, Melissa got up from a chair behind him and, with a teasing laugh and a light shove, unbalanced Nic so that he tipped over, sliding off the arm of the couch. Twisting around to try and catch himself, his feet flying up in the air, Nic landed squarely on his back, staring up at Geoff's face from where he was sprawled over his lap, the top of his head pressed against Tessa's thigh.

"Uh." Geoff grinned, crookedly, and Nic heard some poorly-stifled laughs from other occupied chairs. "Hi."

"Sorry." Nic picked his head up to glare at Melissa, who even from all the way over in the kitchen by now was clearly exuding an air of complete innocence. Geoff followed the direction of his gaze and laughed.

"Yeah, she's an asshole." He pitched his voice loud enough that there came an unrepentant laugh from the kitchen, then looked down at where Nic was still sprawled across his lap. He set his plate on Nic’s stomach. "Comfortable?"

"No." Nic grinned, shifting his weight around with a faux-pained expression. The knife and fork on Geoff’s plate clinked with his movement.  "Your knees are incredibly bony."

"All right, get up, I want seconds," Geoff said, rolling his eyes as he patted Nic on the chest.

 

\--

 

A few hours later, "tanked" was an understatement about the state of the room. _Everyone_ had brought alcohol and -- with the exception of Sara, who was expecting -- they had all indulged to a considerable extent. Joe had expressed the desire to not have a bunch of half-empty liquor bottles lying around the house for weeks after Thanksgiving, so they were gamely trying to empty out as many of them as they could. Geoff had lost sight of Nic for the moment, but he could hear his voice from across the room, the burr of it distinct among the voices of his friends, familiar but clouded by time's effect on his memory.

Geoff was watching the party quietly, a smile settled on his face, content to let the noises and feeling of family wash over him, when Alejandro sat down next to him, the couch groaning under his weight.

"It's good to see you again, man. You look good." Alejandro smiled at him, red-cheeked and more than a few sheets to the wind.

"You too, buddy." Geoff clapped a hand on his knee, but twitched in surprise as Alejandro grabbed his hand, looping his free arm around his shoulder to pull him in close. For a hysterical split-second Geoff thought he was about to get kissed, but Alejandro just clung to him, staring into his eyes with the kind of profound sincerity in his expression that only a great deal of alcohol could produce.

"I'm really glad, man. I'm-- I'm touched. It's been so long since you've come to any of these social events, and--"

"I know, buddy, I'm sorry. I promise I'll show my face around the guys more often--"

"No, no, no, let me-- let me finish." Alejandro's hand tightened around his. "We may have all connected through the military, and that's not-- well, we all knew how it was. But I'm so-- I'm so _glad_ that bond of trust is still there, that you’re willing to -- to let us see your, your _real_ , authentic self--"

Breaking off, Alejandro pulled Geoff in for a bone-crushing hug that lasted...well, he was very drunk. It was hard to tell. "It's an honor, man. I'm honored," he said, almost sounding weepy with the depth of his emotion.

Geoff patted him on the shoulder, unclear on what exactly had brought this on -- it seemed driven by more than just the fact that he'd finally made it to Thanksgiving with the crew.

"Okay, buddy. Okay. That's. Uh. I'm glad to hear it. The honor is all mine. You know I'd trust any of you guys with my life a hundred times over. _Another_ hundred times over."

 

\--

 

At the end of the night, it was Sara's unfortunate duty to drive the drunken partygoers back to their various homes, if they lived close enough. Some folks were staying on Joe and Tessa's couch and in their guest room, but Geoff lived so close that it seemed silly to claim a space when he and Nic could just go back to his place and sleep off the alcohol and food coma there.

Sara's tired face greeted them at the front door, and Nic yawned, listing back and forth until his shoulder collided with Geoff's and he leaned against him. Not feeling particularly steady himself, Geoff braced himself and guided Nic outside after Sara with a hand around his waist, Ein trotting behind them.

"C'mon, buddy. Into the car we go. You can sleep on my couch once we get back home." Geoff unloaded Nic into the back seat of Sara's car, and slid into the passenger seat himself.

"Sleeping on the couch, huh?" Sara tilted her head, smiling sympathetically, but also a bit like she was laughing at the two of them.

"What? Won't be the first time he's slept on my couch."

"Mmm," Turning her attention to the road, a poorly-suppressed smile tugging at her lips, Sara pulled out onto the road and out of Joe's neighborhood, making her way northwest, back toward Everett. Other than Geoff's occasional directions, the car ride was quiet, though Sara hummed along with the radio under her breath.

When she pulled into Geoff's driveway, he got out and then opened up the back door, shaking Nic's shoulder till he roused. Ein perked up and hopped out of the car on her own. "Come on, Nic, wake up, we're here. Time to get out of the car."

Still pliant and sleepy with drunkenness, Nic nodded and yawned as he got out of the car.

"Thanks, Sara. Appreciate the ride." Geoff waved her off, then unlocked the door.

"Don't leave Nic in the doghouse too long!" Sara's voice drifted out of the driver's side window as she drove off, and Geoff blinked. The doghouse--?

Once he, Nic, and Ein had all gotten inside, Geoff closed the door behind them and went into the kitchen to pour them both some water.

"Nic, in here. You gotta drink some water or you’re gonna feel even more like death tomorrow."

"Uhh. Yeah," Nic's voice came faint through the house, and he heard soft footsteps as Nic moved unsteadily through the house.

"Here," Geoff said, passing him a glass. As he passed the glass, he resisted the fleeting urge to brush his hand over Nic's cheek and tuck a stray curl of hair behind his ear. "Aspirin?"

"Thanks. No, just water is fine." Nic shook his head, waving off the aspirin. Geoff took a couple himself, knowing he wasn't as young and resilient as he used to be, and already regretting the hangover to come the next morning.

"It's late," Geoff said, and Nic blinked at him, looking sleepy still. Geoff wondered if Nic would remember in the morning how Geoff couldn't help but soften his voice and lean in close. "You want to put on a movie or something on Netflix, or just take the couch and try to get some sleep?"

Nic scrubbed at his face, then looked over at the couch. "Netflix sounds good. But-- I don't know about you, but I'll probably doze through it. So nothing too loud or complicated."

"Yeah, I know the feeling. Okay." Geoff wandered over and turned on the TV and audio system, flipping through inputs until he got to the Netflix app.

He flopped down on the couch, stretching an arm along the back of the cushion, and Nic sat down next to him, leaning in against his shoulder. Geoff stiffened for a moment, wrestling with the feeling, then decided that he would let his drunk self indulge in what made him happy -- Nic, sleepy and warm at his side, Ein curling up on the couch cushions on Nic’s other side -- and his sober self could worry about it tomorrow.

"How about this?" His eyes still on Nic, Geoff jerked his chin toward the screen.

"Sure, looks good." Nic yawned again and re-settled, shoulders wriggling. Kicking his feet up onto the coffee table, Geoff dug his phone out of his pocket with one hand and spent some time scrolling through social media notifications. He typed out a quick thank-you message to Joe on the event page for inviting him and for letting Nic come along, mentioning that Nic didn't have a Facebook account of his own, then turned the notifications off on his phone and tossed it onto the table.

They'd watched this movie before, fairly recently even, but Geoff did like it. Nic was half watching, half reading something long on his phone; Geoff let his head drop back against the cushions and yawned himself. Despite the action sequences, combination of Nic's warmth against his side and the familiarity of the movie was soon lulling him to sleep, and when he jolted awake toward the end of it, he resolved to stay awake just until the credits and then head off to his own bed.

The idea of inviting Nic to share his bed crossed Geoff’s mind, and he let himself consider it briefly. In hindsight, Joe and Tessa had hosted, Rob had brought his fiance Sara, Gabe had brought his girlfriend Ashanti, Mike had brought his wife Jenny, and Geoff had brought...Nic. Nic, who was now what could really only be described as _snuggled up to him_ on the couch. Weirdly charming Nic, who Geoff really didn't think was, well, _entirely_ straight. He'd been careful in talking about past partners sometimes, in a way that Geoff recognized, and some of the jokes Alex had made about when Nic and Amalia were dating seemed distinctly... non-heterosexual.

The credits had started rolling without Geoff noticing, lost as he was in his own thoughts. When he looked up and noticed, he almost jumped up from the couch to grab bedding from the linen closet and a pillow from his bed for Nic. After a moment's thought, he also grabbed a clean shirt and a pair of pajama pants from his closet.

When he came back, arms full, Nic's eyes gleamed in the low light as he looked up and smiled. "Thanks, man."

Pushing the thought of kissing Nic goodnight down into the same mental hole he’d stuffed the idea of inviting him to bed, Geoff pasted a smile on his face.

Giving himself a mental shake, Geoff pasted a smile on his face. "G'night, Nic. Grabbed you some pajamas if you want something else to sleep in."

"Oh, thanks. Goodnight, Geoff. Want me to start a pot of coffee tomorrow morning?" On previous occasions when Nic had stayed the night on Geoff's couch, he'd been up before Geoff, no matter how late they both went to sleep.

"Sure, that'd be good." Geoff backed up and turned to go. "Sleep well," he said over his shoulder as he went, trusting a quick about-face to conceal his reddening cheeks.

Nic made an indistinct noise. "You too."

 

\--

 

Geoff had been right about the hangover that awaited him. As soon as he started to drift toward consciousness the next day, pain stabbed at his temples and his stomach roiled. He groaned into his pillow and tried to get back to sleep, but only managed another hour or so of half-hearted dozing before his own discomfort and the smell of coffee drove him out of bed. Brushing his teeth and splashing some water on his face, he staggered out into the kitchen, moving on autopilot to grab a mug and pour himself some coffee. As he drank, he looked around and saw Nic reading again, this time on his laptop. When he saw that Nic was wearing the shirt and pajama pants Geoff had left for him, he felt a lurch of emotion, his face and neck flushing.

For a moment, he entertained the idea of this being a regular thing -- Nic staying over at his place, borrowing his pajamas, both of them sleepy and just-awakened. Maybe, sometimes, sore in all the right places from getting sweaty and naked the night before, but mainly just-- being with each other. Going to social events together. Thinking about each other's lives, and knowing that others would think about them as connected. Geoff wondered if Nic snored.

"Morning," he croaked.

"Oh, hey Geoff." Nic looked up at him, a little blearily, and Geoff could tell he hadn't escaped a hangover either. "Good morning."

"How's the head?" Geoff managed a crooked grin, which only spread as Nic groaned and rubbed at his temples. "Yeah, I figured as much."

"Why did we drink so much?" Nic's voice was thready, and Geoff suppressed the urge to go sit down on the couch and curl around him, stroking his hair and-- No. Picking up his phone from where he'd set it on the counter, Geoff took a seat in one of the chairs in the living room, legs folded up under himself.

The first thing he noticed when he unlocked his phone was the flood of Facebook notifications. Geoff smiled to himself as he opened up the app and started to read them -- it looked like mostly responses to his comment on the event page.

_Nic's a great guy! Bring him back next time!_

_You and Nic seemed really happy, I'm happy for you._

_Geoff be good to that man or I'm gonna steal ur boyfriend away from u_

"What?" Nic's voice interrupted Geoff's confusion of thoughts and he looked up, realizing that his eyebrows had climbed up to his hairline and his lips were parted in surprise.

"Uh." He looked back down at the phone, then rubbed at his face as he started thinking about how he and Nic must have looked to the other partygoers. "Well shit."

"Is something wrong?" Nic moved to get up and Geoff waved him away.

"No, it's fine, it's just--" He looked away, trying to think of the best way to phrase it. When he looked back down at the comments he could see that Joe had liked each one, and his face flushed further. "Everyone at the party...seems to have misunderstood, uh. Our relationship."

"Our-- relationship?"

Geoff squeezed his eyes shut, his face scrunching up. His hangover was making his head pound. "They all thought I brought you as my boyfriend."

There was a substantial silence, and in it Geoff realized that so many of the conversations he'd had that day made _so much more sense_ now. Jesus -- like Alejandro, hugging him and talking about him showing them all his "authentic self."

"Fuck. Sorry about that," Geoff said, after he'd thought about it, and Nic remained silent. When he opened his eyes, he saw Nic's head cocked as he looked at him, his expression unreadable. "I don't-- I'll explain it to them."

"Oh." Nic said, and Geoff thought he could see his mouth working, maybe chewing on the inside of his cheek. "Okay."

"I mean-- if you want me to." Geoff squinted a little. He thought it looked like Nic's expression brightened, but he wasn't sure, and the pounding in his head was _not_ helping. "I-- you've never--"

Nic shook head head. "No, I just-- wasn't thinking about it that way--"

"That's okay," Geoff said, making a soothing gesture even as his heart sank a little. "Like I said, I can--"

"No, that's not--" Nic broke off and looked at him, uncertain. "Do you _want_ to tell them it's not true?"

Geoff frowned. "I want to tell them _the truth_. They're my friends, they deserve to know. I don't want them to think I'm in a relationship when I'm not--"

"That's what I'm trying to ask!" Nic set his phone down, visibly flustered, then stared hard at Geoff. "Do you _want_ to be in a relationship? With me, I mean."

Geoff's jaw dropped and his eyebrows shot upward for the second time that morning; he felt his face grow hot and broke away from Nic's gaze, swallowing hard. When he looked back, he tried to project as much earnest honesty as he could through the pounding in his head. "I think I'd-- like to give it a shot."

"Me too." Nic's face lit up with a tentative smile.

"Okay." Geoff smiled back.


End file.
